The face with thermometer is the universal “I’m unwell, send soup” emoji—perfect for calling in sick, side-eyeing flu season, or dramatizing that Monday morning malaise. People drop it when they’ve got an actual fever, post-vaccine chills, or just a case of the I can’t evens. It also shows up sarcastically for hot takes so spicy they raise your temperature, or thirst posts like “your selfie gave me a fever.” Bonus: it doubles as a polite way to say “I’m tapping out early” in group chats without writing a full novel.
On Apple/iOS, it’s a yellow face with tired, half-lidded eyes, faint blushy-red cheeks, and a slight frown clamped around a classic glass thermometer. The thermometer sits diagonally from the lower-left toward the mouth, with a silver body and that iconic red line shooting up like, yep, you’re definitely running hot. The expression screams under the weather—not green-queasy, not mask-wearing—just that achy, bundled-up-with-blankets vibe. Culturally, it pairs well with chicken noodle soup emojis, tea mugs, tissues, and a dramatic “WebMD spiral,” and it’s been a staple for pandemic-era check-ins, fake-sick jokes, and “vibe temperature checks” on social media.
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Emoji History The emoji code/ image log of changes.
This emoji first appeared in OSX / iOS after the iOS 9 update.
